Izigodlo ZaseMoscow Ezikhangayo Zangaphansi Komhlaba

NGUMLOBELI WE-PHAPHAMA! ERUSSIA

KWAKUNGENZIMA ukuqagela ukuthi ukuphi umzila ongaphansi komhlaba, noma i-Metro. Udwendwe olunganqamuki lwabantu lwaluthutheleka ngomnyango oya ngaphansi komhlaba. Ngenhla kwalomnyango kwakunohlamvu u-M, lunombala okhanyayo okhazimulayo. Iminyango yavuleka phambi kwami. Ngaphakathi ngabona isixuku esingalindelekile sabantu ababehla ngokushesha futhi banyamalale njengokungathi bangena kwalasha. Ekuqaleni nganqikaza. Khona-ke, ngiqunga isibindi, ngalandela.

Ngokokuqala ngqá ekuphileni kwami, ngangisemzileni ongaphansi komhlaba. Kwakungewona nje umzila ovamile—kwakuyi-Metro yaseMoscow! Kodwa ezweni lapho umuntu engahamba khona emkhathini, ahlukanise i-athomu, aze enze nomsebenzi oyinkimbinkimbi wokuhlinza ubuchopho, yini eyenza umzila ongaphansi komhlaba ukhetheke kangaka?

Phakathi kokunye, ngangitshelwe ukuthi i-Metro yaseMoscow cishe iwumzila ongaphansi komhlaba omuhle kunayo yonke emhlabeni. Njengoba isaga sesiRussia sisho, “kungcono ukubona okuthile kanye ngawakho kunokuzwa ngakho izikhathi eziyikhulu.” Lapho ngiya emhlanganweni wezizwe woFakazi BakaJehova eMoscow ngo-July nyakenye, ngangizimisele ukugibela i-Metro.

Indlela Eyaba Khona Ngayo

Ngo-1902 usosayensi waseRussia nowayengunjiniyela okwakuthiwa uBolinsky wasikisela ukuba kwakhiwe isimiso sezokuhamba esihamba ebusweni bomhlaba esasizodlula odongeni lwaseKremlin futhi sizungeze inkaba yedolobha. Kodwa umkhandlu-dolobha waseMoscow wawenqaba amapulani okwakha lesimiso ngalesosikhathi. Eminyakeni eyishumi kamuva lomkhandlu waqala ukulicabangela ngokujulile lelicebo—kwakuzoba ngesokuqala ngqá eRussia—kodwa ukugqashuka kweMpi Yezwe I ngo-1914 kwathiya intuthuko eyengeziwe. Lelicebo alizange livuselelwe kwaze kwaba ngo-1931. Kwakuyilapho i-Central Committee yeNhlangano YobuKhomanisi yaseSoviet Union ikhipha isiqondiso sokuthi kwakuzokwakhiwa ujantshi wangaphansi komhlaba wokuqala ngqá kulelizwe eMoscow. Ngakho iRussia yaba izwe le-11, futhi iMoscow yaba idolobha le-17, ukuqala umkhankaso wokwakha omkhulu kangaka.

I-Metropolitan Subway yaseMoscow yavula ujantshi wayo wokuqala, owawunomzila ongamakhilomitha angaba ngu-11, ngehora lesikhombisa ekuseni ngo-May 15, 1935, ngemva nje kweminyaka emithathu uqalwe ukwakhiwa. Izitimela ezine zazihambela iziteshi ezingu-13, futhi zazikwazi ukuthwala abagibeli abangaba ngu-200 000 ngosuku. AbaseMoscow nezivakashi zakwamanye amazwe babehlabeke umxhwele. Yayiyintsha, iyingqayizivele! Kusihlwa abantu babema emgqeni ukuze babe phakathi kwabagibeli bayo bokuqala. Yayingokuthile okufanele kubonwe. Futhi kusenjalo.

Kusukela ngo-1935 lesimiso sakhuliswa saba nojantshi abayisishiyagololunye abahlanganisa ingqikithi yamakhilomitha angu-200 futhi abaneziteshi ezingu-149. Cishe zonke ezinye izindlela zokuhamba zomphakathi eMoscow, kuhlanganise ukuhamba ngezindiza nangezikebhe, kuhlangene ngandlela-thile nokuhamba nge-Metro. Eqinisweni, abaseMoscow abakucabangi ukuphila ngaphandle kwe-Metro. Lokho kuyaqondakala, njengoba zonke izinsuku ithwala abagibeli abalinganiselwa ezigidini eziyisishiyagalolunye, okucishe kuliphinde kabili inani labantu baseFinland. Uma kuqhathaniswa, imizila yangaphansi komhlaba yaseLondon neyaseNew York City ihlangene ithwala nje cishe ingxenye yalelonani.

Ukubhekisisa

Uyafuna yini ukubona ukuthi kunani ngaphansi komhlaba ekujuleni kwezitezi ezingu-20? Sehla ngokushesha ngezitebhisi ezihamba ngogesi. Zingezinye zezitebhisi ezihamba ngogesi ezingu-500 kuso sonke lesimiso, ezingahlanganisa amakhilomitha angu-50 uma zixhunyiwe. Futhi yeka indlela okuvusa amadlingozi ngayo, ukwehla emthambekeni ongama-degree angu-30 ngesivinini esingaba imitha elilodwa ngomzuzwana—okucishe kusiphinde kabili isivinini sezinye izitebhisi ezihamba ngogesi zakwamanye amazwe amaningi!

Sesingenile esiteshini iMayakovskaya. Ukuklanywa kwaso kusenza sizizwe sisesigodlweni kunokuba sesiteshini esingaphansi komhlaba. Ngikuthola kunzima ukucabanga ukuthi singaphansi komhlaba ngempela. Kuyathukela ukuba ngibone umklamo omuhle kangaka ebusweni bomhlaba, kungasakhulunywa ngaphansi komhlaba. Akumangalisi ukuthi embukisweni wokuklama wezizwe owenziwa phakathi kuka-1937 no-1939 kwaklonyeliswa iziteshi ezinhlanu ze-Metro zaseMoscow, kuhlanganise nalesi. Yiqiniso, akuzona zonke iziteshi ezingu-149 ezinjengesigodlo njengesiteshi saseMayakovskaya; eziningi ezintsha zinesizotha kakhudlwana—nokho zisahlaba umxhwele—ngasinye siyingqayizivele ngokuklanywa nangokubukeka.

Cishe zonke leziteshi zinokuthile ezingakulandisa ngomlando waseRussia. Imabula, ubumba, ne-granite kwalethwa kuvela ezingxenyeni ezingu-20 ezihlukene zaseRussia ukuze kuhlotshiswe ngakho. Ngakho, isithombe sombukiso siyaphawula: “Izwe lonke lahlanganyela ekwakheni i-Metro yaseMoscow.” I-granite yasetshenziswa kakhulu ekuhlobiseni iphansi ngenxa yokuhlala kwayo isikhathi eside. Lokhu kuyisici esibalulekile ngenxa yezihlwele ezigcwala kuleziteshi nsuku zonke.

Lapho sisajabulela ubuhle balesigodlo esingaphansi komhlaba, siqaphela izitimela ezehla zenyuka ngesivinini esikhulu. Ngemva kwemizuzwana engaba ngu-90 esinye siphumile esiteshini, sekubonakala izibani zesilandelayo zisondela. Ingabe izitimela zihamba ngalendlela ngaso sonke isikhathi? Ngesikhathi esimatasa, kunjalo. Ngaphandle kwalokho zishiyana ngemizuzu emithathu kuya kwemihlanu.

Asikahlali nasezihlalweni ezinethezekile zalesitimela lapho sibona indlela esithi uma sisuka sidle amagalane ngayo. Sihamba emhubheni ongamamitha ayisithupha nje kuphela ubukhulu, ngezinye izikhathi ngesivinini esingamakhilomitha angaba yikhulu ngehora. Phela, umuntu angayihamba yonke i-Metro ngamahora angaba yisithupha! AbaseMoscow bathanda i-Metro hhayi nje ngoba iyindlela eshesha kakhulu yokuhamba kodwa ngoba ishibhile futhi inethezekile. Ngo-July nyakenye, phakathi nomhlangano wezizwe woFakazi BakaJehova, ukugibela i-Metro uye noma kuphi kwakubiza ama-ruble ayishumi, ngalesosikhathi ayelingana namasenti amathathu aseNingizimu Afrika.

Izikhawu phakathi kwalezitimela zimfushane kangangokuba ungase uzibuze ukuthi kwenzeka kanjani ukuba lezitimela zihambe ngesivinini esikhulu kangaka. Incazelo ilula. Kuye kwaklanywa ngokucophelela isimiso sokulawula isivinini esizisebenzelayo ukuze kuvinjelwe izingozi. Lesimiso siqikelela ukuthi ibanga eliphakathi kwalezitimela liyibanga elidingekayo ukuze kumiswe isitimela esigijima ngalesosivinini. Ngamanye amazwi, isitimela esigijima ngesivinini samakhilomitha angu-90 ngehora esisondela kakhulu esitimeleni esingaphambi kwaso siqala ukunciphisa ijubane ngokwaso. Ngaphezu kwalokho, unjiniyela osesitimeleni esiphambili uxwayiswa uphawu lwesixwayiso. Yiqiniso, lesimiso sikuthuthukisa kakhulu ukulondeka kohambo. Ingabe ileso isizathu esenza abaseMoscow abahamba nge-Metro babonakale bezolile futhi bekhululeke kangaka? Iningi labo lizifundela ngokuthula, liqiniseka ngokusobala ukuthi lizofika lilondekile lapho liya khona.

Izibani Nomoya

Njalo ekuseni, njengoba iziphehla-mandla eziyizinkulungwane ziqala ukusebenza nezibani ezingamakhulu ezinkulungwane ziqala ukukhanya, abantu abayizigidi baqala ukuthubeleza kulezigodlo ezingaphansi komhlaba ezigcwele abantu lapho izinqola zesitimela ezingu-3 200 zizobe zishintshana ngokuvula nokuvala iminyango yazo usuku lonke. Konke lokhu kwenziwa ngamandla amakhulu kagesi.

Lokhu kuphehla ukushisa okukhulu, lokho, ngokwengxenye, okugwinywa umhlaba ozungezile. Kodwa kuthiwani ngokunye ukushisa okungase kwenze imihubhe neziteshi kushise bhé? Njengoba kufanele ezigodlweni, isiteshi ngasinye sinesimiso seziphephetha-moya esihlanza umoya ngokuphelele kane ngehora. Umoya ohlanzekile uhlala ukhona, kungakhathaliseki ukuthi i-Metro igcwele abantu kangakanani. Eqinisweni, abaningi babheka isimiso seziphephetha-moya se-Metro yaseMoscow njengesiphambili emhlabeni.

Nokho, ebusika, lokhu kushisa kuwusizo. Ngaphandle kwasezakhiweni naseminyango okungaphezulu, akudingeki simiso sokufudumeza. Lezitimela, izixuku zabantu, nomhlaba ngokwawo, njengoba kuye kwagcina ukushisa phakathi kwentwasahlobo nehlobo, kukhipha ukushisa okwanele kokugcina lezigodlo zangaphansi komhlaba zifudumele ngokufanele.

Ukunconywa Nhlangothi Zonke

Njengoba kungase kulindeleke, incwajana yombukiso ye-Metro enezithombe iyathopha: “I-Metro yaseMoscow ngokufanelekile ibhekwa njengenhle kunawo wonke emhlabeni, ngeziteshi zayo ezinjengezigodlo ezinenxanxathela eyinkimbinkimbi yemizila, izintambo, amapayipi nezingcingo okumelela inhlanganisela yobuhle obukhanga ngempela bomzamo wobuciko nobuchwepheshe bobunjiniyela. Kunokuba iziteshi nje, lezi ziyimisebenzi yobuciko eklanywe ngobungcweti obungefaniswe nobuhle obuhlotshiswe kahle ngemabula, i-granite, insimbi namathayela, kwanezelwa ngezibani eziklanywe ngendlela ephambili, izithombe, amatshe okuhlobisa amibalabala, izinto zobumba, amapulangwe, ingilazi ependiwe nemihlobiso ecangcathiwe. Abaklami bezakhiwo nezazi zobuciko eziphambili kulelizwe,” kuhlanganise nabenzi bezithombe, “bafaka isandla ekuklameni nasekuhlobiseni.”

Manje, ngemva kokuvakashela eMoscow nokuzibonela i-Metro ngawami, ngingavuma. Iningi lezihambeli zomhlangano enganginazo nalo lahlabeka umxhwele. Omunye umJalimane wathi kimi: “Ngazizwa sengathi ngisehholweni lekhonsathi elinezibani ezilengayo ezinhle. Ngavukwa amadlingozi.” Isivakashi sase-United States sahlabeka umxhwele ngokugcina isikhathi, ukuhlanzeka, nokusebenza kahle kwe-Metro. Kanti isihambeli somhlangano esasivela kude eSiberia samangazwa ubukhulu nobubanzi balezizakhiwo ezingaphansi komhlaba.

Uma kungenzeka ufike eMoscow, ngingakukhuthaza ukuba uvakashele lezigodlo ezikhangayo ezingaphansi komhlaba. Khumbula: “Kungcono ukubona okuthile kanye ngawakho kunokuzwa ngakho izikhathi eziyikhulu.”

[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 15]

Sovfoto/Eastfoto

[Izithombe ekhasini 16, 17]

Iziteshi zaseMoscow ezimbalwa ezinhle ezingaphansi komhlaba

[Umthombo]

Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Laski/Sipa Press; Sovfoto/Eastfoto; Sovfoto/Eastfoto; Laski/Sipa Press; Laski/Sipa Press; Sovfoto/Eastfoto